It's the first time Airbnb has shared broad, anonymized data about how its hosts rent in a big city. And it's a clear move to position Airbnb as a friendly, supplemental source of income rather than an illegal threat to traditional landlords.

Airbnb defeated legislation last month that would have severely limited its ability to operate in San Francisco. The legislation was called Proposition F and it would have restricted Airbnb hosts from booking more than 75 days of short-term rentals (such as an Airbnb-facilitated stay) per year.

After winning the legal battle in San Francisco, Airbnb made a commitment "to work with cities around the world on responsible rules for home sharing."

The data shared by Airbnb on Tuesday can also been seen as a response to New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman, who published a report last October claiming that 72% of Airbnb rentals in New York City were illegal.

Some other data Airbnb shared in its blog post:

"78% of Airbnb hosts in New York earn low, moderate, or middle incomes."

"72% of Airbnb hosts in New York use the money they earn sharing their space to stay in their homes."

"36% of Airbnb hosts in New York City have unsteady incomes. Many are freelancers, part-time workers, or students."

"11% of hosts said they used Airbnb to support themselves while launching a new business."